Lady&#39;s foundation garment



April 1951 s. w. KUNSTADTER LADYS FOUNDATION GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22, 1950 Fig. 2.

Stretch per lb of Pull 2 Fig. 5.

INVENTOR Sigmund W. Kunstudter mm mm- ATTORNEY s. w. KUNSTADTER 'LADYS FOUNDATION GARMENT A ril 10, 1951- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 22, 1950 Stretch 527m of Pull Fig. 8

- INVENTOR Sigmund. W. Kuns'rodter BY MM ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LADY S FOUNDATION GARMENT Sigmund W. Kunstadter, Chicago, 111., assignor to The Formfit Company, Chicago, Ill;, a corporation of Illinois Application March 22, 1950, Serial No. 151,197

out requiring a change in its basic construction or in the basic shape or cut of the panels; more specifically to provide stretch-modifying means for selectively controlling the stretch resistance of the elastic panels horizontally in such amanner that additional compressive effect, normally not present with the girdle and the panels as cut, is attained in one selected horizontal zone and not in another, as for the purpose of increasing the stretch resistance in an intermediate zone while relatively diminishing the stretch resistance towards the top and towards the bottom of the girdle, in a manner which does not interfere with the comfort of the wearer; or further particularized, to provide such stretch-modifying means whereby a maximum or gentle peak elastic compressive effect is attained in an intermediate horizontal zone surroundin the hip joints and the buttocks of the wearer, with'such compressive efiect decreasing upwardly and downwardly from the peak in keeping with requirements for the wearers comfort, this for the purpose of compressing and gently forcing aside or flattening the fleshy part of the buttocks while graduating the release or decompression thereof.

These objects are attained 'by superimposing upon each elastic side panel and rendering unitary therewith a stretch-modifying or stretchdiminishing patch-like element of elastic material of a shape so predetermined as to effect a graduated change of horizontal stretch-resistance of the elastic panels to meet the require- "ments such as set forth above with respect to certain desired elastic compressive effects.

According to one feature the stretch-modifying element is a vertically-extending upwardly- 7 pointed tongue-shaped element superimposed upon a side panel and having its rear vertical edge embodied in the vertical seam that connects the rear panel with the side panel, the M width of the elements varying in such a manner "as to produce the desired change in stretch resistance of the panel. More specifically, the tongue-shaped element has its forward vertical edge shaped with a shallow indentation defining a pair of shallow lobes characterizing one embodiment of the shape and appearance of this element.

Briefly this invention comprises an improvement in a girdle-like garment of the type that is adapted to encompass the wearers lower torso, hip joints and upper thighs, and having substantially non-elastic and non-stretchable vertical front and rear panels and elastic stretchable vertical side panels overlying respective hip joint portions. The improvement provides means for modifying the stretchability of selected portions or areas of the elastic panels, comprising a stretch-modifying partial layer of elastic material fastened to and functionally embodied in each elastic panel, the shape of the partial elastic layers being so chosen that in the desired areas the resistance to horizontal stretch of the panel is relatively increased in a measurecorresponding to variations of elastic compressive force required for the purpose as herein set forth. r

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts herein after fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportions, and minor details of constructiomwithin the scope of the claims or equivalents of their requirements, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Figural is a front view of the girdle'with a front portion broken-away to expose part of the stretch-modifying element. v

Figure 2 is a rear view of the girdle showing the symmetrical disposition as Well as the shape of the stretch-modifyin element.

Figure 3 is a side view of the girdle taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged partial crossfsection on line 4-4 of Figure'3. v I 1,

Figure 5 is a graph illustrating the stretch resistance characteristics of the elastic side panels which have the stretch-modifying elements embodied therein. 7

Figure 6 shows a modified island-like disposition' of the stretch-modifying. elementon an elastic side panel, illustrating the underlying concept of the invention- 1 1 as basic componentsections a rear panel Iil and.

a front panel I I both of non-elastic and substantially non-stretchable material, and, a pair of side panels 12 and 13 of elastic stretchable material.

The side panel I2 is symmetrically similar to the opposite side panel l3 and has its forward edge joined to the front panel by a vertical and substantially straight seam connection l4 while its rearward edge is joined to the rear panel by a vertical although shallow S-shaped seam connection 15, giving the side panel a slightly trapezoidal appearance with a narrower width (1 at the top and a wider width b at the bottom. The opposite side panel I3 has a forward seam connection 5 and a rearward seam connection H defining its shape.

The basic configuration as well as the dimensioning of the stretchable side panels relative to the non-stretchable intervening panels is such as to provide maximum comfort for the wearer when walking or sitting. Indeed for the sake of comfort the front panel has at the bottom an elastic stretchable wedge-shaped insert 18, while the rear panel [9 has its upper corners w and '16" replaced with elastic stretchable material instead of non-stretchable material. While the rear panel has been described above as consisting of a non-stretchable material, it should be understood that such material may be of the 'kind'that is stretchable in the vertical direction,

but non-stretchable in the horizontal direction.

It will thus benoted that the rear panel l6 has a top edge of considerably reduced width as compared with a width d of the bottom edge. The

front panel H (see Figure 1) has a top edge of the width 6 which is somewhat narrower than the bottom width 1. The lateral edges or seams of the front panel appear slightly'convexwith a shallow outward bulge.

The side panel l2 has functionally associated therewith and embodied therein a stretch-modifying'element [9 of elastic material, which material may be of the same kind as'the elastic material of the side panel, namely, an elastically stretchable porous basket weave. The element ii! in eifect constitutes a partial additional layer of such material rendered unitary with the panel as by its rearward seam coinciding with seam l and by its forward seam shown to present a pair of shallow lobes 2U and 20 defining between them a shallow indentation 21.

The stretch-modifying element 19 has a pointed upper end terminating a distance D1 from the top edge of the girdle and a bottom'end defined by a horizontal bottom edge of a width g and constituting part of the bottom edge of the girdle. The indentation 2| may be said to define the element l9 as comprising a relatively shorter upper portion or lobe vertically measured as of a length h and of a relatively longer or lower portion vertically measured as of a length i. A

similar stretch-modifying element 22 is embodied 4 in the side panel I3 and disposed symmetrically with respect to element IS.

The graph in Figure 5 illustrates in terms of, say, absolute stretch per pound of horizontal pull, the manner in which the elements l9 and 22 modify the resistance to a horizontal stretching force of the elastic side panels by comparison with the stretchability of the unreinforced or bare panels. 1 Hence, the line L1 in this graph represents the stretchability as measured on the abscissa due to a horizontally elfective stretching unit force at any distance measured along the ordinate. Thus S1 measured on the abscissa represents the stretchability of the panel at its top edge ofthe'bare panel, While S2 being larger than S1 represents the stretchability of the bare I panel at its bottom edge.

The line or curve L2 in the Figure 5 graph represents the stretchability of the side panel as modified b the elastic elements l9 and 22, respectively, of the side panels. As a net result'due to reinforcement of this-kind each panelacquires the characteristics of stretchability, that is of resistance to the stretching force, as approximately indicated by distances S3, S4, S5 marking characteristic turning points in the line L2. These stretch characteristics are selective in that they result from the particular shape of the symmetrical elements [9 and 22 chosen, and of which the Figure 5 shape of line L2 constitutes a representative example for obtaining a desired although gentleand graduated elastic compressive effect upon the wearers buttocks and thighs, while configuration and size of the area 'of elasticity of the side panels as a whole is being maintained unchanged for the sake of the wearers comfort of movement.

The Figure 6 embodiment of the invention points up in a different way the concept of how to modify and control the stretch resistance (that is the resistance to a horizontally directed stretching force) of the elastic side panels by the very shape-of the superimposed reinforcing element or partial layersrof elastic material added to and rendered functionally-unitary with the side panels. This embodiment shows a stretchmodifying element 23 which is in the nature of a vertically elongated island occupying an intermediate rather than a marginal portion of a side panel 24. The Figure 7 graph coordinated to the Figure 6 embodiment shows by the comparative lines or curves L3 and L4 (corresponding-to the Figure 5 lines L1 and L2) the characteristics of controlled stretchability of the elastic side panel thus reinforced. V 3

Figure 9 in showing the element 23 detached from although in position for attachment to the elastic side panel 24, further points up the gist and conceptof this invention.

- What I claim is:

. i. A foundation garment adapted to encomvpaneland having a shallow indentationonat least one edge thereof defining a shallow ,upper lobe and a shallow lower lobe with the upper lobe being shorter than the lower lobe, whereby the shape of the partial layer being such that a resistance to stretch horizontally of the elastic panel is relatively increased in view of variations of elastic compressive force placed thereon by the partial layer with such resistance following generally the outline of the partial layer.

2. A foundation garment as set forth in claim 1 wherein the partial layer has one substantially vertical edge extending along the rearward seam connection of the elastic panel with the rear panel, the vertical edge being embodied in the rearward seam connection.

3. A foundation garment as set forth in claim 1 wherein the partial layer is entirely within the elastic panel and embodied therein on all of its edges.

SIGMUND W. KUNS-TADTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

